McDonald's® Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region Celebrate McHappy Day® With Celebrity Crew Event and PECO Crown Light Display

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- From November 10-20, customers can show their support for Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) of the Philadelphia Region. Beginning on November 10 with McHappy Day®, customers can purchase a "Give A Hand®" for $1 at participating McDonald's® restaurants with proceeds going to local RMHC programs like the four Ronald McDonald Houses® and thirteen Family Rooms® in local hospitals, RMHC college scholarships available to high school seniors in the Delaware Valley and the St. Christopher's foundation for children Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.

"This year alone, the RMHC chapter of the Philadelphia Region has helped many families in our area. On behalf of our McDonald's restaurants, we congratulate RMHC and proudly support its ongoing cause by encouraging our customers to join us for our 'Give A Hand' fundraiser," said Mike Anton, McDonald's Owner/Operator and Co-Op President of McDonald's Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region. "Thanks to the kind hearts and generosity of our customers and employees, RMHC continues to make a difference for the children who rely on their services."

To kick off the ten-day fundraiser McDonald's Restaurants of the Greater Philadelphia Region will hold a "celebrity crew" event on November 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the McDonald's Restaurant on 8500 Henry Avenue Philadelphia, Pa. 19128 in the Andorra Shopping Center. Local celebrities such as 76er's Hip Hop, the Eagles Swoop, Miss Philadelphia and others will "work" behind the counter selling paper hands and generating funds for RMHC.

The PECO crown lights will also share the McHappy Day message starting Sunday, November 7 with a call-to-action for Philadelphia Residents to "Give a Hand" for charity and visit www.rmhc.org. The message will be visible beginning at 5 p.m. and display until midnight.

A Little Help Does a Long Way

McDonald's commitment to helping RMHC programs in the Greater Philadelphia Region extend past the McHappy Day celebration and the "Give A Hand" fundraiser. As part of its ongoing support of the Charity, the company donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each Happy Meal® and Mighty Kids Meal® purchased in participating restaurants every day. This in-restaurant Happy Meal fundraising effort extends online through the sharable "Family Time. Happy Time" campaign, celebrating family togetherness. The campaign encourages families to pledge minutes of "happy time" together via McDonald's Facebook page. For each minute pledged, McDonald's will donate one penny to RMHC with a goal of reaching 1 million minutes and $10,000 to donate towards RMHC programs.

McDonald's also supports in-restaurant donation boxes to benefit RMHC. Demonstrating how every penny adds up, last year McDonald's customers raised nearly $20 million nationwide for RMHC through the in-restaurant donation boxes.

Celebrating a Tradition of Supporting Those in Need

Social responsibility has been a fundamental part of McDonald's business for more than 50 years. McDonald's actions are grounded in founder Ray Kroc's legacy of giving back to the local communities McDonald's serves. With a shared history that dates back to McDonald's support in the creation of the first Ronald McDonald House in 1974 here in Philadelphia, McDonald's has supported RMHC and its mission to improve the health and well-being of children around the world. McHappy Day is McDonald's signature event for RMHC, and an important day to call attention to the needs of children around the world

About McDonald's

McDonald's USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. There are nearly 300 McDonald's restaurants in the Greater Philadelphia Region.  For more information on McDonald's visit www.mcdonalds.com or log on at any of the 10,000 Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants. Visit www.mcstate.com for local restaurant, career and program information.  Follow us on Twitter @McDPhilly for the latest news, info, events and promotions, and find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/mcdonalds

About Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), an independent non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 52 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org, follow us on Twitter (@RMHC), or like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHC Global).

SOURCE McDonald's USA, LLC